The economy of Mijas is primarily based on tourism, featuring local historical museums and many souvenir shops. The municipality has seven golf courses (four more are under construction), including the La Cala Resort, which is the biggest golf resort in Spain. Agricultural products include potatoes, cereals, and avocados.

The climate of Mijas, due to its proximity to the sea, enjoys semi-tropical temperatures with winter days being mostly warm/hot and agreeable, and days of hot/very hot weather from May until October. The months of July and August are very hot with temperatures at the end of July and early August hovering around 40C. Winter nights can be occasionally chilly but with only an occasional light frost. Nights during the hotter months of Summer are usually quite bearable except for late July and early August when air-conditioning is really a necessity for a good night’s sleep. The rainfall is below 600 millilitres (36 inches) per year and occurs mainly between October and April. The town boasts some 2,920 hours of sunshine per year.

The climate changes gradually with increasing elevation in the mountains. Temperatures can drop to 10 °C (50 °F). In the peaks, over 600 m (2,000 ft) high, some ice may form in winter, while precipitation increases to almost 800 ml (48 in).